


Everything About Us

by BxllxmyBlxkx



Category: The Last of Us, The Last of Us Part II - Fandom
Genre: Age Difference, Blood and Violence, F/M, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25909720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BxllxmyBlxkx/pseuds/BxllxmyBlxkx
Summary: She preferred her own company, being quiet and kept to herself after everything she’s been through. He preferred the same, solitude and the company of himself. They were arguably a match made in heaven during hell on earth, it was now just a matter of surviving the days but it was always best done with a partner. The right Partner.
Relationships: Joel (The Last of Us)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 21





	1. [1]

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! I’ve been having major Joel feels lately, so i decided to self indulge in a fckn fic. ITS A SUPER SLOW BURN so please bare with me 😭😭

**THEY** weren’t sure what they had expected, the last thing they did expect was for her to _run_ the way she did. A woman covered head to toe with blood, as if a bucket full of it had been dumped over her in some sick practical joke — she had her arms raised ready to give them what they wanted in an instantly recognisable sign of surrender, but at the last second she bolted. They had almost mistaken her for infected, the skin that wasn’t covered with viscus blood was stained red, her hair was no doubt already a darker colour but no one could tell with the amount of blood soaked through it.

As nimble as she may be, avoiding the gunshots, they would track her down eventually. She had scuttled away, like a wounded animal trying to avoid the inevitable cycle of life that would catch up to her. 

Gunshots drew unwanted attention through the abandoned town, attracting a variety of infected like a moth to a flame. As intelligent as hunters may be, they didn’t think this one through once they had been swarmed by a horde of runners and the odd clicker. 

It appeared that the cycle wouldn’t catch up to the woman as quickly as they anticipated, by them, anyway. No doubt she would make a tasty treat to the numerous infected lurking around the town — that is _if_ other hunters hadn’t got to her first. That likelihood dwindled as she slowed her pace down, now hearing the shouts and rounds of fire through just a mere echo.

_Fucking idiots._

The thought crossed through her mind, reminding herself why she had long abandoned firearms many years ago. It drew too much attention by both parties, those parties being Infected and Hunters of course. Both terrifying and formidable enemies in the current state of the world, but nothing was more terrifying than coming up against groups of _people_.

At least Cordyceps had the decency to regress a person down to their most primal instinctual need to kill, scavenge and survive. People did what they did, because they were _bored_ or they _just wanted fun_ and the world they lived in provided those sick individuals opportunistically. 

This wasn’t going to be her final fight, throwing down with a bunch of Hunters while they pulled her apart for supplies, _fun_ or meat. A person alone was terrifying, but nothing compared to a person who had nothing left to lose but one bittersweet and potentially fatal final wish. 

“Oh, fuck me.” She hissed, ducking low behind the cover of a dumpster upon catching sight of more Hunters scrounging through the abandoned town. The location had been optimal for her, it wasn’t too far away from her own residence and had more than enough supplies for her to scour through. Of course, situations change.

Vastly outnumbered on both accounts, the pressure increased on her to find a way out by doing the least amount of work. Exhaustion had already set its course through her after a tiring altercation with several runners and a clicker, the last thing she needed was to misstep and be gunned down by a group of Hunters for the sake of it. 

_Five hunters… Three eastbound by the post office… Two preoccupied with a horde…_

She drew a heavy breath, knowing her perpetually insulting luck there were bound to be more around the wooded area in the treetops. It wasn’t her first run in with snipers, and it would be an incredibly stupid oversight to not at least anticipate the possibility of them. Cornered in a dingy alleyway behind a dumpster, she needed to think fast, hard and smart about her next movements or she might as well die right here on the spot. 

_Backdoor access through the bakery and out onto the main strip would leave me vulnerable if deadshots saw me… rooftop would give me an advantage on grounders…_

The window of opportunity was getting slimmer by the second, weighing out all potential options took time and time was of the essence. She was patient. Her family had _always_ been patient. Rushing things made larger room for mistake and mistakes led to an untimely death, something she considered not too long ago but wouldn’t let it happen. Not _here_. 

Reaching over her shoulder, she drew her crossbow, quickly and carefully counting her dwindling number of bolts left. _Six_. They weren’t all that difficult to make, no — but supplies had been thin for her and as if timing hadn’t been anymore… Taunting… Her trusted carpenters knife had long exceeded its lifespan after numerous skulls it cut through and crossbow bolts whittled.

It was now a matter of a simple waiting game, she had boxed herself into this corner and by god if she wasn’t going to make the best out of a shit time. The distant gunfire had since ceased, now the atmosphere merely filled with ambience and the occasional humane shout.

Today had been a shitshow for everyone it seemed, not just for her - who was always prepared for the worst - but also for the Hunters, who didn’t anticipate _one_ woman causing them so much trouble. 

Regardless how grim it was panning out, she kept her eyes on all her openings as she crept forward in the alley, edging out just before hitting the street. Her head very cautiously poked around the corner, catching a glance at a target as they stopped in front of the bakery. Hand cupped to the window to get a better look at what contents remained behind closed doors. 

She took her opening, raising the crossbow like it was muscle memory and firing off a bolt. _The sound_ of it piercing through his skull still made her grimace, no matter how many times she heard it beforehand, the inherent action of killing someone in self defense or not was enough to add yet another internal weight on her already heavy shoulders. 

As swift as the death was, she was even quicker crouching by the newly made corpse and retrieved her bolt. The over hanging rooftop of the bakery provided her enough cover if there were anyone in the trees close by, but what lie ahead was a naked street that screamed ‘risky’. It was a gamble, but not one she was willing to bet her life on. 

That was until she heard more gunfire.

Her ears piqued at the sound, instead of the rain of bullets being followed up by the sound of the infected and inevitable blood curdling screams of their victims. These gunshots had been echoed by more, which meant she wasn’t the only person in town they were after. 

_East… They’re firing east of town… That should clear up the western area._

One glance up at the sky, noting the position of the now rapidly setting sun and a momentary pause in thought was enough for her to get her bearings. The least ideal situation would be if she were stuck here, at night time and twice — now three times the threat. 

There had been no indication of heavy set bullets being fired which meant her initial concern of snipers was completely futile, providing ill comfort for the dire situation. Just because one threat was out of the way didn’t mean she would get careless as she attentively crossed through town, keeping to the store fronts and near cover at any turn. 

Nearing what was presumably a bar before the outbreak, footsteps were heavy across what sounded like old wooden floorboards. She peered in, seeing yet another target searching through the already empty ruins of the bar, much like the one beforehand, she dealt with him quickly. 

His body landed with a decent thud onto an old table which looked as if it would break after years of wood rot and negligence. Unsurprisingly, the sheer weight crippled the furniture and with it, a rather loud noise. No doubt attracting nearby infected if they weren’t already at the gunshow across town. 

Not willing to die over one crossbow bolt, she continues her journey through town as the sun had now begun disappearing behind the surrounding tree line. If she didn’t get the fuck out of dodge soon, she’d be giving herself a one way ticket to an early death. 

_Keep calm… deep breaths…_

She reminded herself, pushing back the overwhelming sense of anxiety that filled her. Stay calm, stay patient. Those two things alone are what got her this far into the end of the world, she’d be lying if she said that it didn’t at least provide comfort and some semblance of attachment to her family. 

Pressing forward was a must, she was losing light and fast. Ideally she’d be out of town by dark but then again… patience was _also_ a must. If she had to stay in the town then so be it, regardless if she wanted to do so or not, which seemed to be the most likely outcome as she crosses an open street with care. 

It was hard to imagine what the street was like prior to the outbreak, of course there were some leftover remnants of what was, but it was still hard to think about life prior to the outbreak. She barely had any memories of living in normalcy, not being able to comprehend a life that was any different than patience, travel, adaptation and survive. 

With yet another wary glance up at the sky, she made the executive decision to hole herself up in what appeared to have been a laundro-mat. Coming across these had been commonplace when travelling across the country as much as she had — that and it was the only building in town that had fortification, even if the wear and tear of the boarded windows indicated it’s been up since early in the Outbreak. 

It wasn’t much, but it was better than waiting out the night in the middle of the street, there was one entrance and exit and she had no desire to rest until she was home safe. 

‘ _home’_

Sure, as much as a vacant house isolated in the forest could be home. No, home for her was not here.

She loaded a bolt into her weapon, placing it right beside her as she retrieved a small amount of food from her bag. Her eyes never flickered away from the entrance, similarly to how her ears never stop listening to the sounds outside of the building. 

_No more gunshots… lets hope they all killed each other_.

A grimly optimistic thought, the less people alive the better for her considering she didn’t want to deal with it. As far as food went, whatever she cooked last tasted like shit yet didn’t deter the aggressively grumbling stomach from taking it and using it as essential sustenance. 

Oh how she missed the finer things, what she’d do to _kill_ for at least one can of soup. Minestrone to be more precise. Every grocery store, convenience store, abandoned market turned up nothing while she scoured each place top to bottom for one _fucking_ can of Minestrone soup. Nada. Every. Single. Time.

A grimace pulled at her face, the incredibly chewy meat tasted bland and by the time she had bitten through down to the bone it was more fat than actual protein. She pondered on the way her food tasted like shit when a loud bang kickstarted her adrenaline once again. 

She crouched low behind the cover of a dilapidated washing machine, crossbow in hand as two sets of footsteps entered, followed by pained grunts that remained on the opposite side of the room. 

“Think any more of them sons-of-bitches will come?” 

It was a male voice, gruff sounding and exasperated. She could gather two things; he was injured and on the older side of life. 

“Not likely… said they was after a woman, might be out lookin’ for her.” 

Another male voice, younger sounding — both had accents, then again to her _everyone_ had accents and she wasn’t keeping track. She had bigger problems at hand than to worry about accents and a complete comprehensive guide to what people sounded like from whatever part of this Country they resided in. 

“Here’s hopin’ she don’t get caught then.” 

With that she rose from her cover, crossbow raised. At least she was confident these two must have been the source of the secondary set of gunfire she heard not too long ago. Her sudden presence startled the two men, the non-injured and visibly younger of the two drew his pistol.

No words were said, but tension was high. She had an up on the two men, knowing that it was dark and more quiet than usual it wouldn’t be beneficial to either party if a loud gunshot alerted infected. Maybe if the other hadn’t been injured, it might’ve been different. 

She wasn’t one for talking, not to people she didn’t know anyway— so that ruled out every person she had encountered in this apocalyptic hellscape. Despite this, she felt her intentions were conveyed clear enough through the stand off between her and the man before her. 

“‘lright, you’re not gonna hurt us.” He was the first to break away, her intentions had been heard loud and clear even without the presence of words. He held his hands up, placing his pistol on top of a washing machine but never breaking eye contact with her. A remarkably unusual move on his behalf, that was made known by his injured companion.

“Tommy what the fuck are you doin’?” he hissed, clearly unnerved by his choice to drop his arms in the presence of a complete stranger who they’d never seen before. 

Even though she was certain that the two men were much like her, seeking refuge for the night, she just couldn’t be _too_ sure. She backed up until she was flush up against a machine and sat on top of it, weapon still raised, her eyes watching the too men like a hawk — more so now that she got a better look at the injured companion. 

She was surprised at just how old he was, long grey hair and a beard adorning his face, _he must at least be in his sixties… seventies maybe… poor old bastard…_

“She ain’t gonna hurt us, Eugene…Reckon she’s just glad we ain’t hunters.” Tommy reassured, kneeling down to tend to the older man's leg wounds. He was indeed correct, she was most definitely grateful that they weren’t hunters but that didn’t mean she trusted them wholeheartedly.

Quinn didn’t trust anybody. 


	2. [2]

**CHAOS** .

It was absolute, utter chaos. 

Sirens blared through the city as explosions ravished the business district. The earth tremors with each blast, but it most definitely felt like it was a product from the sea of people on foot running in every direction away from the epicentre of explosions. The screams of terrified people mixed together with guttural raging shouts only added the urgency to what was going on. 

No one knew what was going on.

“Quinny, hurry up!” The panicked voice of a boy shouted upon losing sight of his nine-year old sister. He had turned to see her struggling to keep up with the adults' long strides and grips her hand tightly, ensuring that no matter what, she wasn’t breaking away from their family group. 

No one knew what was going on, least of all a nine year old. She trusted her brother nonetheless, allowing him to pull her so hard as they zig zagged throughout the city's outskirts that it felt like he’d rip her arm out of its socket. All she remembered was being shaken awake by her incredibly terrified dad, who urgently pressed on to the family they needed to leave.

Another close explosion ripped through the city, the shockwaves sending more rubble flying outward and crippling scaffolding off from a nearby building. It tumbled down in both Quinn and her brother's direction, he was quick to stop them in their tracks to prevent getting pinned down by the heavy equipment. 

God knew how close behind those patients were, no one had seen anything like it — except maybe in fiction from all the zombie movies and games the boy had played.

Through the darkened alley way, he had just managed to catch a glimpse of the silhouettes that were his family run away, oblivious to the fact they were now down two family members.

“Holy  _ fuck _ …” Another voice panted, startling the older boy at first and making him do a double take upon seeing his younger brother beside him.  _ Make that three _ .

The oldest brother looked around, seeing nothing but mayhem unfold around them, he didn’t recognise the streets or landmarks, given that most of the city had been engulfed by flames as a direct consequence of the explosions. Hell, he didn’t even know where _ anything _ was, they weren’t even from around here. “Fuck…  _ Fuck!  _ Eli, take her. We needa keep going, yeah?”

Eli looked up at how dishevelled and messy his older brother looked, rubble coated his features he was almost unrecognisable. His eyes trailed down to his younger sister who anxiously looked around, sucking in her breaths as she so obviously didn’t want to cry. Not in front of her big brothers. Not when they made fun of her for crying most of the time.

“C’mon Quinny…” He held her hand and followed the oldest of the three, hoping that he at least had some semblance of an idea where to regroup with the rest of the family. The explosions never ceased in the background as neither did the intense screams for help, Eli looked behind him just in time to see one of those manic patients make a meal out of a thug who had seen the chaos as an opportunity to loot from a nearby store. “Jesus Christ — Ezra, we need to go!” 

At the very sound of his panicked voice, the patient looked up at the trio, eying them as if he had stumbled across a three course meal. Not a second later the three had broken into a sprint, Eli lifting his sister up to carry her knowing she’d be unable to keep up. 

The only direction Ezra had been positive he was heading was away from the city, they passed along an extensive line of cars on what was most likely a major highway leading in and out of the city. Many had been left abandoned in haste, many still had terrified people inside of them. 

He turned both out of instinct and curiosity as he simply just witnessed Detroit getting blown to kingdom come. An array of explosions sounded off in the distance, lighting up the night sky and sending him into a panic. The expression on his face provided little comfort to both his younger siblings, he was quick to recompose himself, “Look, something scary is going on -“

“No shit sherlock it’s a fucking virus! Mate, look around! The military just fucked this joint up good, if it's  _ that _ bad they’d already be setting up quarantine areas somewhere.” Eli grew angry, it was only to mask the complete and utter terror he felt underneath all of it. Despite his cadet training, it seemed that when faced with impending doom his training had completely slipped his mind. 

His words alone procured some hope that the rest of their family may be able to make it to a safety area. No doubt they had already figured out the three were missing, and like always were most definitely worried. As they  _ should _ be. 

Ezra pressed on, getting enough distance from the city where they can recollect their thoughts and think of something. He was by all means not equipped at all nearly as much as his younger brother when it came to surviving, his own interests barely extending further than drinking, girls and his trade work.

The line of cars had lengthened more than they first thought, it seemed like almost everyone was trying to get out before the bombs hit. 

It was much quieter as the trio slipped out from the vicinity of the city outskirts. The occasional mewl from scared people had piqued their ears, but other than that it had been quiet. Most often than not it was the slightest whimper falling from Quinn’s lips, followed by a sniffle as she tried so desperately hard to not make her tears noticeable.

Eli put a comforting hand on her shoulders, trying to keep her focused on the two brothers and not anything else. 

“I wanna go home.” Her voice cracked, her hands hugged her body as they slowly drudged through the sea of cars. What  _ were _ once brightly colour pajamas decorated with smurfs, had rubble pressed into them as well as scarlet stains of blood to which she thankfully hadn’t noticed. 

Ezra looked down at her with sympathy, “I know, chook…” He placed a delicate hand on her head, giving her messy dark hair the slightest of ruffling, “we just need some place to conk out for the night… then tomorrow we go find Mum, Dad and Lily, yeah?”

She nodded, holding her body close with thoughts of her parents and baby sister. 


	3. [3]

**TOMMY** promised himself and Eugene he’d keep a close eye on the strange woman that sat across the room, keeping her crossbow pointed and at the ready. He must admit it was admirable that she committed to her alertness, not that he could say the same for himself as he found him slipping into a light sleep. 

Quinn’s posture never wavered, nor did she succumb to the exhaustion no matter how heavy her eyelids felt. It was the first time in… She was unsure… But it had been some time since she was in the company of other people alone. She didn’t  _ like _ people, for good reason too.

She had nothing to owe the two men across from her, just like they didn’t owe her anything. While it eased her mind to know they were most likely travellers or traders opposed to Hunters, she still erred on the side of caution, even when the youngest of the men had fallen into a slumber. 

_ You never know _ .

The night had come and gone quicker than she expected, the only indicator of morning was the light streaks spilling through the cracks of the wooden boards. It was subtle, but it was enough indication that it was sunrise. That,  _ and _ the sounds of more voices alerted her.

Too muffled to make out what was being said, she slipped down carefully from her elevated position on top of the Machine and carefully made her way to the door. The laundro-mat itself was interconnected by a hall to other shops and judging by the footsteps they were going through each store front.

With her crossbow raised and her back against the wall in anticipation for the door to open, she takes a deep breath. She was too close for comfort to the sleeping men, but she at least knew that there was no chance in hell they would try anything. Especially since she looked down and saw a rather startled Tommy, who least of all expected to see her looming figure, flush up against the wall and this close to him.

She brought a finger to her lips, signalling for him to be quiet, following it to a nod toward the door. The silence had been disrupted with more footsteps and quiet murmuring on the outside. If she was correct then there were three in the hallway alone, and god knows how many more on the outside. 

Her ears pricked at the door handle creaking at the sudden weight of someone's fist turning it. She readied her crossbow, steadying herself with a deep breath and tight grip on the weapon. 

Upon the door opening, the Hunter had barely made it one foot into the room before a bolt zipped immediately through his eye. Quick to ensure he didn’t ragdoll backward and alert the other two lurkers, she gripped the collar of his shirt and dragged his body into the room quietly. 

It wasn’t an overly difficult feat and it most certainly wasn’t the first body she had to drag around, now it simply proved to be a nuisance but it was necessary. She pats down the body and takes his gun,  _ he wasn’t gonna need it anymore _ . He only had half a clip loaded into the pistol and eight rounds on him, wasn’t much but it could do enough damage in the right hands.

The only other thing on his person were two rolls of bandages. She scoffed to herself,  _ these savages are desperate bastards. _ The lack of supplies on them made more sense now, why they were scouring the town top to bottom in search of essential items, whilst also on a manhunt for the three stragglers. 

They were playing with high risk, low reward odds if they thought either of the three were packed with immense supplies. Hunters were intelligent but they were also incredibly stupid at times.

Abandoning the corpse, she very slowly retrieves her crossbow bolt and reloads it while returning to her position beside the door. She looks down at Tommy and Eugene (who had finally awoken), neither of them making a sound which had been a relief.

Questioning muffles travelled down the hallway and into the room, sounding like two Hunters in conversation. One voice distinctly closer than the other, the light peeking from underneath the door broke as someone stood in the way, disturbing the light source. 

Judging by rough estimations she had to guess the other Hunter wasn’t too far, if not within eyeline of the doorway. Her hands readjusted her position, propping the crossbow taught against her shoulder, allowing it to be stabilized and one handed. Her free hand gripped the tomahawk, unsheathing it from a makeshift holder secured to her belt. 

Just like the last, the door creaked open, only this time the unsuspecting hunter copped a recently sharpened tomahawk head straight through the cranium. His face opens up from the clean strike as she gets line of sight of his friend down the hall, shooting a clean shot through his skull. 

The body attached to her tomahawk moved with her until she kicked him from it, letting his body slump against one of the machines next to his other dead pal. Frisking this body turned up nothing but a shitty homemade shiv, much to her own disappointment. 

She wiped her face in an attempt to clear off the freshly sprayed blood from that brutal heat swipe, only managing to smudge it than anything. 

Both Tommy and Eugene were unsure what to say, merely observing the woman as she pocketed the melee weapon and cautiously approached them. Not standing too close, she hands Tommy the pistol and rounds of ammunition — more or less tossing them to him, actually. 

Retrieving one of the bandages she took from the corpse, she also tossed him a roll. Knowing that Eugene most likely needed it more than her considering she was moderately stocked, but that would run out quickly the longer she stayed here. 

Just because she had a momentary lapse in kindness didn’t mean she trusted the two men, if anything it was purely sentimental. The two remind her of something she hadn’t seen in a  _ very _ long time. Her brothers. Not that she knew if they were related or not, they very well could have been as far as she was concerned, merely the dynamic between the men is what prompted unsolicited memories. It was best not to dwell too much on the past, the present demanded her time more and she needed to be focused.

“Thank you… ‘ppreciate it.” Tommy gave her a polite nod, to which she returned curtly, leaning up against the boarded windows to listen out for more hunters. It was rare that Hunters were this hellbent on finding  _ three _ stragglers, of all things. Perhaps, the two were a part of something and they had assumed she was in on it too.

Maybe the two men in front of her really did have a cache of supplies somewhere and these Hunters were wanting in on it. For the first time in the several hours of being in their presence, she finally speaks up, “what’d you do to piss these cunts off?” 

Her rough voice and accent completely threw both men for a loop, the vulgarity on top of it. They lived in a broken world, a shadow of what once was and cursing should have been the last thing on their mind, but that didn’t mean they weren’t taken aback from it. 

It was a bold assumption on her behalf, but she knew they didn’t know who the hell she was. Her home was fortified well and not easily located, it would take more than just a group of hunters to locate it, and that was purposeful.

“Nothin’... a group of no good dirty bastards wantin’ to get the jump on us.” Eugune huffs, he winces as Tommy changes the dressings over on his injured leg with the bandage she gave him just before. 

She keeps her ears open, hearing distant shouts as even more seem to be circling the perimeter of the town. That indicated they had it at least surrounded and it was a good call not testing her luck in the darkness last night. To put it lightly, she didn’t believe Eugene at all considering she had run-ins with her fair share of Hunters. They didn’t act like this. 

Tommy finishes up, turning to look at her quizzically; sure she was strange before but hearing her talk had caught him off guard. He wasn’t sure what he imagined her voice to sound like but it most definitely wasn’t what he heard, “that accent… you ain’t from ‘round here, are you?”

“Nah.” She simply utters as she crosses over to the two dead bodies, she drags them across the floor and into a corner so she doesn't have to keep looking at them. Blood made her queasy, and if that statement in itself wasn’t a contradiction as she walked around with the litres of dried blood on her, then there was no telling what was. 

That was the end of that, she didn’t need to talk to them and quite frankly she felt uneasy even answering Tommy’s question. She looked around the particularly empty laundro-mat for  _ something _ that could help them get out of their ‘jam’ quicker, it filled her mind to the point she had begun pacing. 

_ Savages surrounded, three dead today… Two dead by infected yesterday… Two dead by me… Give or take a few maybe four dead by the others…  _

Both Tommy and Eugene shared a glance as she paced whilst muttering incoherence. If they hadn’t already spent a number of hours with her, they would’ve been convinced she was infected. The sad and honest truth was she had just been on her own for too long of a time for any person. 

She continued to mutter to herself, wondering just  _ how _ big this group of Hunters were and why they were so relentless. That was a question she very much wanted to find out. 

Frisking the dead bodies once more turned up with more of nothing,  _ best to be thorough _ . It was quite clear that she wouldn’t get a straight answer from the two men in front of her, not that she deserved to know or that they owed her anything. She too was being as vague and blunt as possible. It was simply just a little too strange, their unique situation. 

“If I’m right… there’s eleven dead… which means there’s another two dozen or so out in the open. Most likely a few deadshots in the trees, the rest on foot.” She picks at a splinter that had emerged from the tomahawk handle, it was about time she replaced it before the damn wood broke on her. Too bad the only carpenter she knew wasn’t with her anymore. 

“Then what? Go out guns blazin’ —“ Tommy’s eyes darted down to her crossbow, feeling much safer that it was no longer aimed at him, “— crossbows blazin’? Eugene can barely walk and I’m willin’ to bet those sick sons of bitches killed our only ticket outta here.” 

_ Horses? _

It’d been a while since she saw a horse, though having one handy would most likely ease the blisters on her heels and make travel much quicker. She folded her arms and leaned against a machine as she thought, this time keeping them to herself. Her eyes flickered between Eugene and Tommy, judging by their earlier murmurings it was most likely out of the picture just to leave him here. 

Her foot tapped on the cracked tiled floor beneath her lightly, as if the gesture was to help her brain think better, “yeah, nah… Unless you got any mates lookin’ for you, we’re stuck here. ‘s only a matter of time before infected start swarmin’ the area.” Not that, that was a complete travesty, she’d much rather go out as Clicker bait than by some hunter. 

Eugene readjusted himself, shifting over the weight of his body down on the opposite hip as he still lay propped against the wall, “No, unless you got any  _ mates _ lookin’ for you.” He mocked her slightly, as if offended she even had the nerve to bring up the potential idea that they were with a larger group. Which of course they were, but they weren’t going to let up on a woman who had only now stopped pointing a weapon at them. 

“Na don’t you worry chief, no one’s missin’ me anytime soon.” She confirmed, equally as annoyed that she had to even address her current situation. They could kill her if they wanted too. No one was going to find her, look for her or even remotely miss her. That prospect she was well aware of, and yet both parties seem to be at a stalemate. She too, could kill the both of them if she wanted too, but they weren’t killing her, so there was an unspoken mutual respect occurring. 

Tommy sighed, giving his companion an unreadable look. Their situation was dire, there was no denying that and it required a little more trust between them and their unfamiliar companion. “Look… ‘bout three miles north of here you’ll come up on a town…  _ our _ town… Jackson — we got plenty people, guns… horses. No doubt they got a search party out ‘lready but it ain’t gonna do much if they get shot down by hunters.”

_ Hunters… so that’s what they call them… _

“I don’t do people.” She simply replied, keeping her ears open for any noises nearby that might indicate more Hunters closing in on them, “I can watch cowboy here.” 

“Like hell you are, you’d kill me dead the second he leaves.” Eugene seemed rather worked up for an older fellow, though that was most likely due to him coming down off his private collection of… _ herbs _ … and the fact his leg had a bullet lodged into it. 

The slighted hint of amusement crept onto her face, it was a bold assumption on his part but nonetheless an amusing one. Tommy waved his hand dismissively at his companion, trying to calm him down, “you seem to know your way ‘round quieter than we do, and helluva lot quicker… Go to Jackson, ask for Maria and she’ll know what to do.”

Quinn uncrossed her arms, her eyes glued to her well beaten in boots, the fact she was even humouring the possibility was sending her mind into a confusing spiral, she didn’t owe them anything, “how do I know your mob won’t just shoot me on sight?” 

“We  _ ain’t  _ like that… Not in Jackson.”

She could’ve just left the two… She definitely wanted to just leave them yet there was just something in her mind compelling her to stay. Perhaps it was guilt, or it was that semblance of family that reminded her that not too long ago she was in a similar jam. 

“‘lright… I don’t know what the fuck miles are but here’s hopin’ its like a fuckin’ stroll through the bush.” Her comment was more to prepare herself mentally for what was in store ahead of her. The conflict inside what she was doing, considerably crippled her concentration which was something she needed to get over quickly if she was going to get out of this alive.

“How do we know you won’t just leave us here to die?” Eugene countered, mocking her comment from beforehand and challenging her integrity. Which she had to respect but it was beginning to get on her nerves. 

“I  _ ain’t _ like that.” 


	4. [4]

**NEITHER** of the three siblings knew how long it had been, Ezra lost count around the fourteen day mark and Eli lost count at a month. They weren’t sure how far they had walked but the oldest brother was sure they passed a sign telling them they were in Indiana some couple of days ago. Prior to that they had stumbled their way into Ohio after spending some time holed up in safe confine from the increase of opportunistic criminals. 

Now, they sought refuge inside the shed of a house that appeared to be long abandoned since shit hit the fan about two months ago. 

Quinn slept cuddled to herself on the couch, the only thing she ever seemed to do when they weren’t walking. She had only stopped crying around eight days ago, both brothers noted, as if she knew that getting upset wouldn’t reunite them with their family any sooner. 

Ezra glanced at her small frame on the couch, a hint of guilt and sadness filled his features as he continued tinkering with some makeshift weapon. After their first run in with an older man that claimed to be of assistance, only to try and make off with their younger sister just days before, they knew carrying weapons was a necessity. Not wanting to deal with something like that again. 

As far as infected patients, they had yet to see anymore. This carried hope that maybe the military’s fast acting strategies would get the world back in order once again. Of course… that was most definitely not the case.

Eli sat in the passenger seat of the car that was parked in the home's driveway, one of his legs hanging out while he made effective use of his cadet training and hobby in electronics to get the car working. While he was positive that his unit would be most disappointed in him as he used his brains to hotwire a car — it was merely to use the radio. 

He was no connoisseur in the art of partaking in illicit activities so it was taking longer than he had hoped. Frustration loomed over him as he cursed under his breath, when his most recent attempt flunked out on him he decided to take a break. He ran a comforting hand through the thick dark locks of his hair, that physical trait carrying over to the other siblings, save for their youngest sister; Lily. She inherited their father’s european blonde hair.

_ God _ , he missed his family more than he wanted to admit. He wished that they never even came here and that they were back home, at least then they would be surrounded with familiarity and comfort. Here, they knew nothing about how things worked mostly. 

Eli hauled himself out of the car and made his way to the shed, Ezra giving him a curt nod, “no luck?” In clear reference to his quest in getting the radio to work, most houses TV’s weren’t working since the power grid went down, that's what prompted the siblings to head south. Thinking that maybe it was a Detroit only crisis. As they continued their journey that was quite clearly not an isolated event. 

“Yeah, Nah. Buggered if I can get that piece of shit started,” Eli sighed in frustration, he reached into his back pocket and held up a folded piece of paper, “scored this though.” He unfolded it, revealing it to be a very simplified Map of the United States, its intended use had most definitely been for younger kids to learn their country. 

Ezra flattened it out on his workbench, adjusting it so that the light leaking through the roof hit it at  _ just _ the right angle. He reached over to grab a fabric marker and circled Detroit, a small picture that was drawn on the side was a major tourist marker that made it easily recognisable. He then dotted an estimate of where they were, somewhere not too far from the Indiana and Michigan border. 

“Reckon you could try that radio again?” He asked, he bit his lip in thought, his eyes returning to watch over their sister. More than anything their goal was to keep their sister safe and return to their family, they were stronger together than they were apart. 

The younger brother simply sighed and nodded, returning back to his spot in the car to try his luck once again. Ezra pocketed the map and seated himself on the edge of the couch, placing a gentle hand on Quinn’s shoulder to wake her up. 

Her eyes flickered open and turned to face her brother, for just a split second she thought it was all just some vivid dream she made up. That she was back home and she just so happened to have fallen asleep in their dad’s shed like she always did, watching him work on his cars and tools always brought her an immense amount of joy. 

Alas, she was still here in the present reality of the world and that she was with her brothers.  _ Only _ her brothers. 

He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear with a gentle smile, “hey chook, sorry to wake you up. Just wanted to talk.” One thing he had regretted leading up to shit hitting the fan was how… dismissive he had been with his sister. Sure, she was annoying and loud but he never treated her with much affection or kindness until the reality hit him that he’d have to look after her in a world that had gone to shit. 

She sat up, rubbing her eyes with a yawn. Her bright hazel eyes had already begun to lose their shine of innocence, witnessing the brutal murder of a man who had tried to take her some days ago. Her underdeveloped brain unsure how to cope with the overwhelming reality that was life at the moment. 

“We’re still looking for Mum, Dad and Lily… Uncle Matt and John too… But in the meantime I need you to promise me something, okay?” He spoke so softly that it was hard for him to believe this is what he had become in just a short month or two. She nodded in return, letting him continue, “I need you to  _ only _ talk to me or Eli, I don't care who anyone else is, if they’re nice or not, if they’re your age or not. You don’t talk to  _ anyone _ that isn’t us two.”

“Okay… just you two,” she repeated back, an overly emotive nod indicating that she, very loud and clear, got the message. 

He gave her an appreciative smile, bringing a hand up to her hair and ruffling it, “good, now where’s that notebook you found, we’re gonna go through english and comprehension today.” Being the oldest also came with an unspoken responsibility. No one knew how long life would be like this, having been the only sibling to finish high-school meant that he would make sure his sister still learnt basic subjects in schooling. 

He wasn’t going to let her be at a disadvantage when they inevitably returned to normal and she was back in school. 

It was wishful thinking. To say the least.

“Oi! I got somethin’!” Eli’s voice wasn’t loud to arouse any unwanted guests, but it was enough to get Ezra’s attention. Leaving the youngest to her own as she opened up a journal already filled mostly with yesterday's subject; Math. 

Ezra skipped over to the car, propping one arm up against the doorframe and leaned in as static whirred through the radio, followed by a not great signal message. 

“— emergency broadcast. Citizens in the greater Fort Wayne area are to evacuate effective immediately. A Quarantine Zone has been put in place inside the business district. Any survivors are to make their way to respective Quarantine Zones operated by Fedra and Military approved areas only. This is an emergency broadcast—“

“Fuck… You think the rest of the joint here is like this?” Eli looked up at his brother, who seemed to be in immense deep thought. The emergency signal crackling on in the background, it was a helluva lot worse than he expected but then again that just seemed to be the theme the three siblings came by as of late.

Ezra hummed, trying to think of a way to word his thoughts, “could be just north, we dunno. That signal is weak so -“ he pulled out his marker and map again, dotting down a rough estimate of their journey so far, “-we came down south, by the ohio boarder and strayed west, I remember passing an Indiana sign two days ago… So that puts us maybe, here?” He circled a blank spot in Indiana that wasn’t too far from Fort Wayne.

“How many K’s do you reckon we are from there?” Eli queried, it was difficult to estimate travel distance by a map alone, in fact, he was a month shy of learning navigation with the cadets prior to their visit to the States. 

The older brother, however, having spent the most time outdoors with his father knew a thing or two. Of course, hunting season back home was completely different from their literal survival through this apocalyptic scenario. “Dunno… ‘bout forty kilometres give or take five,  _ And _ if we take the right route. This map is about as detailed as fuckin’ video game graphics.” 

“Righto… so we get to this joint down in Fort Wayne and then… see if they have contact from the other zones?” Eli picked at his fingers, his eyes lingering on their sister as she wrote quaintly in her notebook. How he would give to reunite her with their Mum and Dad, she deserved safety and to not live through this hellscape. 

“That’s the plan, yeah.”


	5. [5]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy oh boy this is a big one lmaooo
> 
> I know we havent see the one character who is supposed to be in here yet, but I take a lot of care in establishing my OC’S. I Really enjoy making my own characters individual beings that can exist outside of just being a love interest, i hope you guys stick along for the ride <3 <3 much love

**JACKSON** was huge and by the looks of it, going through even more expansion. To say she was surprised would be an incredible understatement as she stood atop a hill that overlooked the community. Naturally, it was gated but there was  _ power _ which left Quinn completely speechless. The last time she saw something as big as this was a Quarantine Zone, of course, they didn’t look as quaint as this town. But she’d be the judge of that.

She didn’t want to raise alarm, merely jogging at an easy pace knowing that every minute wasted shortened both Tommy and Eugene’s window of survival. It was a lot smaller at a distance — that was a given, but she underestimated the tall structure that kept the town safe from outside threats. Looming somewhat threateningly contrasted the sounds of  _ life _ from within, and not just sounds of ‘existing’ like the ones from Quarantine Zones. 

A faint smile pulled at her lips, maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all, the energy it permeated was rather welcoming opposed to threatening—

“State your business!” A voice shouted from above, she looked around before her eyes settled on a figure inside a watchtower. Beside the figure stood another, gun pointed in her direction.

_ We ‘aint’ like that, huh? _

“State my — Listen, I came from a town ‘bout four k’s away, Tommy and Eugene are pinned down and one of ‘em is injured. I was told to ask for Maria!” She had her arms folded whilst she waited for the two high above her to deliberate. Standing there held at gunpoint wasn’t one of her ideal situations to be in, but if Tommy was right about this town then she needn’t worry… Of course, she worried anyway. 

Another few moments passed as the gates open, the influx of people walking her way made it incredibly hard for her not to panic. Instinctually placing a hand on her tomahawk and taking several steps back, the woman that fronted the group took notice. Her eyes glancing down at Quinn’s defensive position and held a hand up to stop the mob behind her from moving further, “that’s far enough, everyone… You said Tommy sent you?”

Quinn nodded, her eyes bounced from the woman's face to the plethora of faces behind her. Gathering she must be speaking with Maria now. All eyes were on her, looking at her appearance and no doubt seeing her as a threat. That was justifiable, she was  _ still _ covered in now dried up blood, looking as though she went on a murder spree recently. 

“Yeah… told me you got horses, guns and people. Savages got the whole joint surrounded and then some. The older bloke’s been hit. Can’t walk.” The younger of the two women was short, sharp and to the point. The accent didn’t go undetected by the older woman, having it been a while since she’s heard something like that for a while.

“Savages? Like infected?” She queried, hands on her hips as she kept her eyes trained on the strange woman in front of her. 

Shaking her head, Quinn took another glance in the people watching her,  _ waiting _ for her to make the wrong move. “You mob call ‘em hunters. Least that's what I heard Tommy say,” she was beginning to get nervous underneath the scrutinising gaze of the older woman, not liking the way she was being looked at.

“I gotta ask — how come you slipped by so easy?” It was like an interrogation, trying to find holes in the stranger's story. Quinn couldn’t blame them for being cautious, she’d have done the same if the roles were reversed, but time was of the essence at this moment and clearly the two men back in town meant something to this community. 

“Luck,” she replied, her hand now retracted from the head of her tomahawk, “that’ll run out soon for your two mates if we don’t hurry.”

Maria seemed content with that answer, turning her head to one of the men behind her, “go ‘n roundup Seth ‘n the boys, get the horses ready ASAP.” The man hadn’t even questioned the order as he merely nodded and walked back toward town, taking the mob of others with him which calmed Quinn down immensely. 

“No horses — they’re quick but your mates' horses were taken out by those cunts with guns.” She spoke outwardly, the sight of the two dead horses still embedded into her brain.  _ Heartless _ . Perhaps it was a compassion toward animals that evoked a visceral reaction, she wasn’t completely innocent, hunting wild animals for food. But two  _ horses _ . That messed with her mind ever so slightly. 

The older of the two seemed taken aback by her choice words, much like Tommy's reaction, if she was repulsed by it then Maria definitely didn’t show it. Instead offering her a curt nod as she understood what was at stake here. 

She motioned for the younger woman to follow her into town, getting a surprising yet understandable hesitant reaction, “cheers but, I’ll wait out here.” Quinn gestured to a tree she was more than comfortable standing by while a rescue party got themselves together. 

Once again, Maria offered a curt nod and retreated within the confines of the wall hastily. She didn’t think the woman was being rude by any means, in fact she was just surprised that Quinn turned down the offer. Having some impression that the stranger had been through a lot to not trust a gated community. If Jackson was run by Hunters, she’d have been shot dead on sight… or worse. 

Quinn propped herself up against the tree and waited, her thoughts wandering elsewhere for the time being. Namely whirring around the sensation that this was the first human contact she had for some time (not including Tommy and Eugene), it was  _ nice _ but she couldn’t let that impact her way of survival. Attachments were one thing that many people seemed to shun the idea of in a world where anyone could die at the drop of a hat, but Quinn never shut off that reality. 

Growing attached to something or  _ someone _ made it easier to push through the days, it was only the deep-rooted common sense that prevented her from exploring much out of her comfort zone. Nonetheless, she had a duty to herself to get what she wanted and achieve her final goal. 

Upon the sounds of the gate reopening, she turned her head to see Maria once again followed closely by several men armed up with one horse. The older woman didn’t get too near, knowing that there was some mistrust with people inside the younger woman, “figured you’d need a horse for Eugene, keep him outside the line of fire ‘n you should be right… You bring ‘em back home for us, in one piece.” 

The brunette eyed the group of men cautiously, the feeling of unease settling in her stomach as she figured this was her search and rescue team. Minus Maria, of course. Eventually, Quinn nodded and began her ascent back up the hill with the group following closely behind. 

For extra protection she drew her crossbow, holding it at the ready as the short but fairly annoying trek back into town would most likely have infected along the way. Nothing concerned her more than the group of men behind her, she was thankful at least they didn’t antagonise her considering men were always  _ so good _ at doing just that. 

No, they were just very much loudly talking in a passive aggressive tone about her. Which she chose to ignore, drowning out noise had become quite a current talent of hers as she continues to focus on the task at hand. 

“Y’know, figures Maria would send us out ‘nd ‘bout with a fuckin’ stranger. Only she’d be dumb enough to trust one.” 

With a roll of the eyes Quinn, kept her gaze sharp ahead of her with her ears tuning into their surroundings.  _ This _ is why she hated people. Well — one of the reasons at least. The more they ventured on and the passive aggressive comments pressed on. She was beginning to miss the quiet solidarity of her own company, at least then the only person critical of her was herself. 

As they neared the town, she motioned for the group to stop and lay low, using the trees as cover just like she had on her escape earlier in the day. From this high of a vantage point, they could see people weaving in and out of alleyways and side streets, lurking about like predators looking for prey. Before venturing any further out, she points to a tree on the opposite side of town, the sun catching a shine emitting from the treetops.

“Fuck they’ve got this whole place surrounded.” The older man beside her grumbled, to which she meagerly nodded in agreement. By her counts they were still outnumbered but with more armed forces on her side, they could shift the tide if strategically played out right. 

One of the younger men who didn’t look a day over eighteen, crouched beside her, “‘m thinkin’ we could draw them out while you bring Tommy and Eugene back to the horse, we don’t need to kill nobody if we don’t have too.” She pondered at the thought, it wasn’t a terrible idea but with a group this extensive they would be tracked all the way back to Jackson. 

“Nah — they’ll track us,” She hummed, rubbing her face in immense thought as she tried to figure out how to plan this without anyone getting hurt, “those deadshots are our real threat here… Knowing savages they’ve got two of those fuckers — but that’s enough to pick us off. We kill them and this becomes a fair brawl.”

Silence. 

_ Seriously? Nothing? _

The youngest of the group in front of her seems to take the idea on board, despite his attempt in trying to leave the least amount of casualties. Unfortunately, dealing with Hunters almost  _ always _ meant casualties, but he knew if the Hunters tracked them out to Jackson that it would mean more trouble than good. 

He turns to his older companion, offering a coy nod as if his opinion meant anything to the stubborn old man who merely scoffs and shakes his head, “just because Maria trusts you, don’t mean we do… for all we know you could be walkin’ us right into a trap.” 

“ _ Seth. _ ” The youngest hissed, unable to get a read on the woman's face. This was  _ exactly _ the reason why she doesn’t deal with people, not that she was wanting to ride on a high horse and claim she’s the best survivalist of all time, because she wasn’t. But to have her judgement questioned by a group fronted by an  _ old man _ really did a number on the composure she so desperately held. Now being spiteful only fueled her to  _ prove _ something, which is exactly what she needed to do to wipe the floor with his smarmy attitude. 

“Righto chief. Your mates are over in that building —“ she pointed to a small strip of buildings just off the main street, “keep the savages off my back, and for fucks sake  _ watch _ the deadshots.” She needn’t say anything more to the group, wondering why she even went back to their community in the first place if she was going to pull this entire fiasco off herself. 

Nearing the fence of the service station she cut through earlier in the day, she took careful steps to slink around the moving patrols. Her back was pressed up against a fuel bowser, noting that there were two stragglers. Sweat trickled down her forehead, the translucent perspiration sliding into patches of dried blood, now activating it to a liquid state once again. 

_ Easy does it. _

Aiming her crossbow at one unsuspecting Hunter's head, shooting a bolt straight through the back of his head. Swiftly following up with propelling her tomahawk after a strong wind up, the weapon spinning into the air at a rapid speed, only stopping once it connects with the hard surface of yet another Hunters skull. 

She sprinted to the bodies, sliding on the disturbed gravel as she collected her bolt back and tomahawk before fleeing down an alleyway. One quick pause was all she needed to catch her breath and continue forward, her quiet feet and crouched position carried her through the alley until she stopped short of the main street. 

_ Just across the street, down to the left.  _

The main street was more dense with Hunters, making her traversing a little more difficult than originally anticipated. Right about now she’d appreciate a distraction of some degree, but as a clear outsider from their community, she’d have to rely on the one person she had been for quite some time; herself. 

Retreating back into the alley and behind what was a loading bay to a shop, she keeps her breath steady and sighs. She could easily flee this town, leave the two men pinned to die and forget she ever crossed paths with the community of Jackson. But she was never one to back down from a promise, or back down from completing a task she set herself out to do. 

A frustrated groan fell from her lips as she clenches her fist, “ _ fuck _ … fuck I hate people.” 

She composes herself, cupping her hands to her mouth and shouting into the town and drawn out and high pitch, “Cooee!” That alone should alert the hunters to her position as she promptly leaves the area, cutting into the shop the loading bay was apart of and using the cover of counters to shield her from Hunters. 

Footsteps slammed down the alley alongside an array of gruff voices, although muffled as she continues passing through the store. From the windowed counters and large open area in the back, she deduced she was in a Butcher’s shop. That theory confirmed by a meat cleaver that had been forsaken to time on the floor in front of her. 

_ Not bad. _

She picks it up, gripping onto it tightly as she climbs over the broken window and out onto the main street, still hearing commotion from the loading bay of the butchers. By all means, the main street was not nearly as empty as she’d like it to be and knowing two snipers high in the treeline added extra danger didn’t ease her whatsoever. 

Recollecting her thoughts, reminding herself why she was doing this and reminding herself what her end goal was  _ exactly _ . 

Breaking into a sprint, she moved in a way that was unpredictable for the snipers to get a shot on her even if it did take that little bit longer to cross the street. She barely made it halfway when the groundsmen caught sight of her, four of them now in hot pursuit of her. 

One of the hunters drawing a bow and arrow firing at her, the arrow whizzing past her head. She leaps over a dumpster as she enters in an alleyway, a gunshot sounds off behind her but she never wavers. Making a sharp turn to the right, sliding on gravel beneath her, she picks up her legs and ignores the hurt in her lungs urging her to stop. 

Another arrow whirs past her, her rapid movements making it difficult to get a hit on her. She whips herself around, launching the tomahawk at one of her pursuers, the sharp weapon caves in his head as she quickly fires a bolt to another. One of the men attempt to shoot at her, to which she kicks him into the wall, jamming his arm taught against the brick finish and hacking it off with her newly equipped cleaver. 

Crimson blood spurts out, onto her body as she adds more of the substance to her already bloody figure. The final hunter manages to get her into a headlock, pressing hard around her neck, contorting it so it would break under the right amount of pressure. She struggles for quite some time, pressing down a hard bite on her attackers arms, strong enough to tear a chuck from the bone. 

He screams, giving her an out as she forces his grips from her, grabbing just a singular crossbow bolt and jamming it into his face several times over. More blood coats her frame, turning to the hunter with his arm missing. She must have looked incredibly maniacal as of now, blood coating most of her and the  _ look _ in her eyes sent him into a terror. 

The Hunter barely made it two feet before she shot an arrow through the back of his head, having used the bow of one of the now dead hunters. 

“Ah fuck me that was hard…” She panted to herself, putting her hands on her knees to get her breath. Looking down she simply sighs, a feeling of queasiness filling her stomach as she leans up against the brick wall decorated with blood splatters. An arrow protruded her stomach, clean through from the back, its head sticking out for her to see. 

_ How’d I miss that? _

It was serrated at the tip as well, meaning it was going to  _ suck _ to get out of her. The pain hadn’t registered as of yet, running off pure adrenaline for the time being. She quickly gathers her things, jogging back up the alley way and to the correct side of the strip of stores. 

Hesitantly, she makes her way around, ensuring that no hunters are lurking around this particular area before moving to the laundromat, she gives the door a slight knock, “Fellas? You still alive?” She opens the door and sees both Tommy and Eugene upright and breathing, although there were three more dead bodies in the room than when she left. 

“Jesus Christ you look like hell,” Eugene muttered, eying her as she enters the room looking like she came fresh from a massacre… well… technically it was a massacre. 

“Yeah, just got back. We gotta go. Your idiot mates are up on the north bank, horse and everythin’ waitin’.” She gestures, holding the door open as she helps Eugene to his feet with the help of Tommy.

The youngest of the two men seemed to be concerned with how she was holding up, “You -uh… got a lil somethin’ —“

“She’ll be right,” she waved dismissively, holding the older man up as they make their first steps outside the laundro-mat, “we gotta get him outta here and hope those morons are still there waitin’ for us.” Once Tommy got a good hand on him, she let them go and ventured ahead with caution and crossbow raised. 

They made it out into the alley, her hand motioning for the two to stop as she simply stopped and listened to her surroundings. There was the occasional voice that piqued her ears but it was muffled by distance, which indicated that they were in the clear for now. 

Continuing further, the first sharp pain shot through her as the adrenaline began to wear off, a wince emitting from her while she leaned against a wall for support. She pointed to the clearing visible behind and just above the Butchers where she came from, knowing that the service station was behind that building and their direct route out of here. 

“That’s your ticket outta here. I’ll head back south and bring the sesh down to me… Should give you enough time to get the fuck outta dodge, make sure you got someone covering your ass to conceal tracks. You don’t need these cunts followin’ you.” She muttered to both men, keeping her eyes on the mainstreet for any more Hunters.

“Well hold on just a damn minute, what ‘bout you?” Tommy shifts his weight on his feet to keep both himself and Eugene upright. He looks at her, as if trying to get her to look back at him. When she doesn’t, he at least tries to get a read on her face despite being obstructed with a myriad of blood. 

She finally turns to look at him and gives him a small nod, implying that the coast was clear for now, “your mates didn’t want to engage, these savages are desperate and will track you down… You got kids back in Jackson… I hate those fuckin’ things but they don’t deserve getting killed by a pack of savages,  _ go. _ ”

She shuffled back, still using the wall as support and using that motion as a way to hurry the two men along. Both Eugene and Tommy seemed incredibly shocked at this revelation, how peculiar it was that a complete stranger seemed to grasp the concept of community safety more than their own men did. 

The youngest gives her an appreciative look, “if you ever make it out of this, Jackson could really use someone like you… ‘ppreciate all you’ve done.  _ Good luck _ .” 

Quinn gives him a smile in return, the first one she seemed to crack in the presence of someone for the first time in a long while, “you wait for the signal, then you make a break for it…” she trails off, slinking further back down the alley, “I’m Quinn… by the way… If you find my body, take me to the ocean…  _ please _ .” 

She hadn’t waited for an answer, merely staggering down the alleyway now on her lonesome once again. Both men gave each other a solemn look, waiting in anticipation of the aforementioned ‘signal’. 

“She wasn’t too shabby.” Eugene huffed, groaning as he accidently leans too much on his injured leg. He admired the grit she had, it wasn’t common that strangers passed through willing to do this calliber of suicide mission. 

Tommy nodded, agreeing with his companion, “yeah, reminds me a lot of someone I know… You think she’d have a good chance makin’ it out?” His mind went out to his brother, having only seen him months prior in the company of a young girl. He often wondered how it all turned out, if they were even still alive. But he knew Joel better than anyone, if anyone was to survive what he was doing; it’d be Joel. 

“Hah! fat fuckin’ chance, best she can do is clear most of these assholes out… Give it a couple of days and we’ll send someone out to look for her body… it’s the least we can do.” Eugene lamented, while he did admit she had good fight in her, what she was doing was suicide. 

As Tommy opened his mouth to reply, a barrage of gunfire echoed from the other side of town, “there’s our signal I s’pose.”


	6. [6]

**FORT WAYNE** was much more difficult to reach than originally planned, what with the increase of large scale crime gangs loitering around originally densely populated areas, infected seemingly more prominent too. The siblings had barely passed through a building alive, not hearing so much as a peep inside but only to be ambushed by several infected. 

That development in tactics took them completely by surprise, doubling that sentiment was the beginnings of fungal growth present on the infecteds faces. This caught the two brothers off guard, not seeing anything like advancements in ‘zombie’ like creatures before in fiction. Alas, just because they hadn’t seen it in a movie, didn’t mean it didn’t happen in reality. 

When the trio of siblings did make it to Fort Wayne - barely - the Military presence was looming and threatening. Despite Ezra’s hesitance, the youngest brother had assured them it would be okay and that they were to trust the Military. Naturally, being a cadet allows some room for bias, but considering they had estimated another three weeks on their journey; Fort Wayne was their best hope at finding their family. 

Aside from the initial apprehension and mandatory two day Quarantine each sibling had to complete, they were allowed entry into the Quarantine Zone. Inside evidently worse than what was happening on the outside, split up families, injured people and half a dozen body bags. 

Quinn held onto Ezra’s hand as if he would run off at any given moment, afraid to be stuck in a place that looked arguably worse than the outside. It was grim, harsh and that opinion once never ceased even in the presence of Military Officials supposedly ‘protecting’ them all. The only thing that was separating the ‘safe’ interior of the Zone from the outside were short makeshift walls with barbed wire. 

The Zone itself wasn’t even that large, most of the living quarters were already packed, forcing newcomers to find the comfiest looking piece of road or sidewalk to sleep through the nights. Eli made quick work of trying to get any information out of the military, only to be turned away with rehearsed lines of ‘everything is under control, we are working with government officials to figure out our next steps.’

After several feeble attempts to get access to a radio or even asking if they knew anything about a Quarantine Zone holed up in Detroit, he returned to his siblings with his head hung in defeat. 

Ezra had sat on the steps of an old run down community gymnasium, inside were the sleeping quarters but it was so incredibly noisy in there he could barely think. Beside him sat Quinn who was jotting down more math problems her brother recited to her, every so often helping her out if she got stuck. 

“Let me guess, your military mates don't give a shit about whether or not you were a cadet, aye?” Ezra looked up at his brother upon seeing his defeated body language, the fifteen year old sat down on the other side of Quinn and sighed loudly, shamefully nodding his head.

“Yep. They all said the same rehearsed bullshit, can’t get a straight fuckin’ answer.” Eli looked dead ahead, nothingness clouding his eyes as he felt failed by the group of people he so desperately looked up to and wanted to be a part of come high-school graduation. The harsh reality was that the Military here was completely different to the Army back home, something he’d eventually grasp. 

Quinn finishes up her set of problems and hands her brother the notebook, Ezra looking down at her with feigned surprise and joy, “look at you chook! You’re breezing through these too quickly… Why don’t you read that book we found at the library.” He glanced down at the pages filled with her problem solving, some things crossed out as she rewrote the problem and solution.

“If they aren’t saying much it probably means we’re up shit creek — either the governments fallen or they don't have any contact elsewhere.” Eli states, a low mumble as to not antagonise any Military Personnel nearby. To their surprise the amount of military uniforms that surrounded the area at least tripled the amount of normal people. There was a swarm of authority, much to the oldest siblings' disdain.

Ezra ticks off what was right and circled the problems that needed to be redone, keeping his gaze down low as to not arouse suspicion, “yeah well… We need to figure out what our next move is, if there was a radio where would you hide it?” He questions, handing his sister back the notebook and offers her a smile, “you just gotta redo three more questions, chook, then you can read.” He places a comforting kiss atop of her head, turning his gaze to his brother.

Eli looks around, getting a sense of their whereabouts and what might be of help to him. Behind him, the living quarters were inside the gymnasium. Half of the main strip had been designated ration queues, the other half dedicated infirmary and medical tents. To the left of them, the only entrance in and out of the small Zone were the Military tents. 

“Don’t look but the main gate… Military personnel bump in and bump out as they rotate shifts, bring people in for Quarantine and hand in their heavy weapons… If anywhere will have a radio — it's those tents over by the gate.” Eli’s voice is quiet and unsure, his eyes darting around his surroundings to sense if anyone was listening in. 

The oldest spares a glance to the large collection of tents and gives a sigh, “the one tent that’s fuckin’ crawling with pigs… Well let’s hope these assholes are as dim as the ones back home,” He stands up, shaking himself off as if to prepare himself, “go on… chuck us a shiner.” 

The younger brother looks at him incredulously, taken aback by his forwardness and uncertain how to react, “what the fuck are you doing?” Was all he seemed to get out, Quinn finally lifted her head from the book to watch the two siblings eyeing each other.

“Fast pass into that tent is to brawl — hit me, shitlips.” Ezra antagonises, knowing that the opportunity for him offering a free hit would pass once this ordeal was over. Being the oldest also meant he was the one to win the fights and most likely start them in the first place. 

A groan escapes Eli’s lips as he stands with uncertainty, motioning for Quinn to look at him, “everything’s gonna be okay, Quinny. Maybe don’t look,” he warns as he lifts his fists up. He very much didn’t _want_ to hit his brother, let alone in this particular situation where things could go south quickly. But part of him couldn’t allow him to turn down the idea of getting his first clean punch in on his brother after years of wrestling and unfair fights. 

He winds up a right hook and connects it directly into Ezra’s face, the force of it knocking the eldests face to the side harshly. A pain seared up Eli’s fist, shaking it off while fighting the urge to make a pained noise. 

“Not bad…” The oldest wipes his cheek, a red welt forming on the side as he retaliates with an even stronger punch on his younger sibling. It didn’t take long for the two to be on top of each other, wrestling on the steps outside the gymnasium all the while Quinn wasn’t too sure what to do.

They fought like this on the regular at home, and right now all it seemed like they were doing was acting normal. Of course, in the play fighting she witnessed at home didn’t produce this much blood but she also wasn’t an idiot either, she figured it was most likely something to do with needing to get out of here. 

It took some time before any Military Personnel actually took notice, breaking up the fight as soon as they caught wind of it. A woman covered head to toe in riot gear pulled the oldest off Eli, scolding him for acting like brute and whisking him away. All the while her companion checked on the two remaining siblings, asking if they were okay and needed anything. 

When Eli brushed the man off, he had averted his gaze to the small girl reading a book. Asking her a question, to only be met with a cautious glance and nothing in response. The girl remembered the words from her brother just three weeks ago. 

The man finally left after no response from her and Eli puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, “Ezra will be fine… remember when he was fucked off his face on his eighteenth and set his leg on fire accidentally?” 

A giggle emitted from her lips as she followed up with a nod, remembering last year’s party fiasco as if it happened just yesterday. The parties Ezra would throw at their quaint house out in the bush were always often out of control and most definitely rowdy by all sense of the word. At least in this instance they had been in the company of their parents, who responded accordingly among the chaos. 

“Well, he’ll be okay… he’s gonna find out where everyone is for us.” He comforted her, she once again nodded and didn’t need to question the validity of her brother's authority.

“I know… I’m nine, not an idiot…” She retorted, turning over the page of the novel she was reading, offering a kind smile to her big brother, “we won't see them for a long time will we?” Her question was sad, but that was the reality of the situation for all the siblings, the fact that the youngest managed to pick up on it alone sent a wave of sadness through the boy. 

He nods, knowing that lying would only delay the inevitable, “I think so, chook… But y’know what? When you, Ezra and those two kids from the outback got lost one time during school holidays, there wasn’t a day that went by we weren’t absolutely sure that you four were still alive… You four were patient and waited while we found you guys. The Everetts are patient, we will see them again.”


	7. [7]

**THE** town, just a short two days ago sounded not too dissimilar to Fourth of July celebrations with the amount of gunfire and shouting that echoed through the valley. Now it was eerily quiet, as silence settled through the streets and buildings, not even a peep was heard from infected. 

Bodies were strewn across the aged tarmac roads, some were hung out of storefront windows. A brief chuckle came from one of the men walking cautiously through the town, his gun was raised in anticipation, “damn, she really did a number on ‘em…” 

Tommy approached each alley and abandoned car with care, predicting a potential ambush if he wasn’t too careful. Accompanied now by one of the townsfolk, August — a burly man, whose build could’ve been mistaken as a wrestler pre-outbreak days. It was a suitable enough substitute while Eugene healed up back in Jackson. 

Keeping to his word, the younger man returned to town in search for a body. Quinn’s body most notably. The least he could do, honouring the stranger who had very selflessly — albeit, idiotically sacrificed herself to ensure he and Eugene made it back to town safely. 

“You think she got ‘em all?” August queried, his eyes darting across the bodies with evident crossbow bolts in them, some sported gunshots and he didn’t even want to know what happened to the short stack of bodies piled up by a disrepaired police car. 

Tommy gave his partner an amused look, “might’ve… who knows… keep an eye out.” While he didn't think it would be possible to respect her final wishes of being put to rest at the ocean, considering the closest body of water that was even remotely ocean based was way out west. He could at least give her a proper and normal burial, inside the walls of Jackson.

He continued forward, rifle raised and stopped short of the police car, next to the stack of bodies sat hers. Propped up against the door of the car, still bloody and having never removed the arrow embedded into her lower torso. “Found her — must’ve cornered her here…”

As August made his way over, observing the state of the bodies before her all decapitated as a broken tomahawk lay beside her. He resisted the urge to cringe at the brutality of it, as seemingly childish as it was for a grown man to find the visuals disturbing. 

Sickly pale, no doubt to the loss of blood from a nasty looking bullet wound in her right shoulder, Tommy looked away from her after staring for too long, “she fought good ‘n hard ‘til the end… C’mon we’ll get her back to Jackson.”

“T-Tommy?” A strained voice barely above a whisper, clambered from her mouth as she made little effort to open her eyes. Both men widened their eyes, in an instant kneeling down beside her to make sure that was most definitely coming from her and not a disembodied illusion from years of trauma catching up to them. 

She squinted her eyes hard, blinking them forcefully until she focused her gaze on the man she recognised and one she didn’t. Everything was incredibly hazy, most likely due to her having sat here for two days, unmoving, starving and dehydrated. It was sheer luck that it was springtime and the nights were not nearly as cold and unforgiving as the winter and autumn months. 

“Christ… how the hell are you still alive?” Tommy pats her face, getting her to keep looking at him, he turns his head to August and gestures wildly, “go on, go get the horses we need to get her help ASAP!” 

Her breathing was laboured, skin was cold to the touch as her lips were tinted blue. It was something short of a miracle she survived and to say that Tommy was relieved would be the understatement of the decade. The feeling of relief felt incredibly foreign and unlike him, considering it was over a stranger he barely even conversed with. 

August shortly returned with their two horses, helping Tommy with getting Quinn to her feet. She grimaced, the first major movements from her stationary position, the undeniable pain from both her shoulder and side had subsided after the first day. Now only acting as an inconvenience as she was aided onto a horse. 

Tommy holds her in place as he joins her and keeps her upright, “we’re takin’ you to town to get help… Just hold on for me.” He informs her out of politeness, not wanting her to go into a panic. Her mind was all over the place, never really thinking too much on one thing as she teetered between conscious and unconscious. 

Every bounce of the horse made her injuries more prominent, reminding her that she was indeed still alive and breathing, as she wasn’t quite done with her time on earth just yet. It was a scary notion, accepting an inevitable fate when she truly didn’t  _ want _ to just yet. Perhaps that was why she was holding on for as long as possible, finding it in her heart to keep living in hopes she’d muster up the strength to keep going. 

Luck just so happened to be on her side, for now. She might just yet make it  _ home _ . The one and only place that tethered her to living, the only place that she wanted to take her final breaths no matter the circumstances.  _ Home _ . 

Home would just have to wait, that idyllic fantasy she dreamt of most nights and felt her thoughts wander to the most as she rode in immense pain. Keeping her in check that she wasn’t home yet, and she hadn’t been for twenty years. 

More time had passed than she expected, not sure how long she had spent in deep thought as the gate of Jackson filled her vision. Remembering just how, some many days ago being held at gunpoint, of course, this time it was under  _ much _ different circumstances. 

It was all blurring together like an oil painting that had begun melting, she was helped off the horse and carried to somewhere? She wasn’t sure where, there was a town, houses,  _ people _ … There were an array of voices, all mixing with one another just to create noise, she could barely even make out one word. 

She recalls a stillness, shifting in and out of conscious moments with some sensations here and there. A cold chill running down her back, the soft touch of air on her skin and quick sharp jolts of pain in both her shoulder and lower torso. There was blood… seemingly lots of it, voices talking with one another until she finally succumbs to exhaustion and enters sleep. 

  
  
  


Her eyes fluttered open, scanning the ceiling of an unknown place she was in. The light directly above her harshly beat down some ounce of heat, but nothing too uncomfortable. The pain in her shoulder caused a strained wince to tumble from her mouth, the vocal sound alerting someone in the room of her conscious state. 

_ Where the fuck am I? _

As she goes to sit up, her body refuses to move not by injuries preventing her to do so. But by restraints. This panicked her now. She grew wide eyed and began struggling,  _ typical _ , of course this would happen to her, of all people. 

“Woah woah — calm down.” A familiar voice tried to ease her mind, she looked around the room to see both Tommy, Maria accompanied by a younger woman; based on the medical apron and gloves she was most likely their medical staff. On top of the three people staring her down, having two guns pointed at her didn’t alleviate her panic either.

_ This _ is what happens when she tangles with people, her misguided attempt to help out two men who she  _ thought _ were different from Hunters has come back to bite her on the ass. Positive now that she’d never make it home. 

He saw the pained faces she made while struggling against her restraints, even more he saw the  _ look _ she was giving both him and his wife. A look that exceeded wide eyed panic.

“Doc, take off the restraints.” He ordered quietly, his pistol aimed still had never wavered from Quinn, neither did Maria’s. 

“But—“

“Just do it, we got it.” He assured the doctor, he knew how bad it looked having just saved the life of a stranger only to have her held at gunpoint. He was reluctant to do so, but the safety of Jackson was far more important to him than any stranger, no matter how kind they had been. 

The doctor hesitantly removed the makeshift wrist, waist and ankle restraints, hastily moving away from the woman as she sat up.  _ Too quick,  _ she thought to herself as she winced and brought a hand to her side, relieved that there was no arrow there anymore. 

Quinn eyed her wounds, noting that she had been changed into a tank top, bandages covering her shoulder wound and a tighter wrap around her waist. A sigh came from her lips now understanding why she was restrained and being held at gunpoint. 

“Care to explain what  _ that  _ is?” Maria gestured to her uninjured shoulder, the thin straps of her tank top barely covering the scarred skin that bubbled in some places permanently. She subconsciously puts her hand over the ugly wound, feeling the raised sections of skin brush against her fingertips. 

_ Bound to happen at some point _ . 

“Either way, you’ll blow my head off…” Quinn mumbled, the first time she spoke since seeing Tommy yesterday… Was it yesterday? Or this morning? She wasn’t sure how long she’d been out for. 

The three people stood in front of her never backed down from their pointed gaze, prompting her to continue, “‘bout a year ago I got myself cornered in a grocery store… Runner thought I must’ve looked like good tucker and took a bite… didn’t bother comin’ back for seconds,” the grim joke didn’t seem to land with any of the adults before her. 

Both Tommy and Maria share a glance before pocketing the weapons hesitantly, the doctor and Quinn looking taken aback by the sudden action, earning a scoff from her, “ _ that’s _ never happened before,” she muttered to herself, recalling the last time somone saw the bite wound and nearly shot her point blank. 

Tommy puts a gentle hand on the doctor's shoulder, “you keep this between us, we don’t need nobody worryin’ over nothin’...” She merely nods, peeking over to the stranger with caution. He gives her an appreciative nod, “‘lright you can head on back home.”

Once the doctor exited the room, an awkward silence filled the space as neither of three knew what to say. The couple hadn’t been so apprehensive only given that this wasn’t their only run in with someone who was bitten and hadn’t turned, of course if word got out around Jackson the two let in someone who was bitten, their leadership would’ve been in question. 

“You believe me? Just like that?” Quinn broke the silence, unsure if there were anymore hidden motives with the couple that patched her up. She’d have crossed her arms if her shoulder didn’t give her so much grief, instead letting it sit limp by her side. 

“Ain’t given us a reason not too… You said you were bit… You been with us two days and ain’t changed yet.” Tommy informs her, earning a nod from his wife who stood by his side with her arms folded.

She gave Quinn an appreciative smile, grateful that she had done more than most to ensure her husband would return home safe, “not our first run in with someone like you either,” she thinks back to not that long ago, her Brother in law passed through with a girl who was also immune. At first, it was always quick to dismiss the possibility, but two people had crossed their path that were the same, it seemed less like a miracle and more coincidence. 

Quinn nods, surprised by the idea of more people that were immune. She had yet to figure out if it were a blessing or curse, not living in fear of infected as much as a normal person. 

“We ‘ppreciate what you did, takes a lot of gall to sacrifice yourself like that when not even our people did… I meant it when I said Jackson could use a person like you ‘round.” Tommy watched the woman, her face blank as she thought hard about what was ahead of her. Even without all the blood coating her features, she was still a difficult person to read; that fact seemed purposeful on her behalf. 

Most of her belongings had been lost in her attempt to kill as many Hunters as she did, her hideout wasn’t too far, but injured she’d no doubt struggle to make it and  _ home _ … Home was thousands of miles away, on the other side of the globe. She had nowhere to go and  _ no one _ . Yet, she still hesitated. 

People made her nervous. 

Maria takes a slow step forward, aware that the woman had faced something in her past to incite mistrust, placing a comforting hand on her knee just for a brief moment, “You aren’t forced to stay… this here, ain’t a prison… I get the feeling you don’t like people — I understand… We can get you a place to stay, clothes, food and get you on your way if that's what you want.”

Grateful that the two had been hospitable, even if the act of kindness threw her for a loop and there might have been some hidden ulterior motives. She was thankful nonetheless, merely nodding without giving a full answer to either leader.

“And uh… might wanna keep that just our business…” Maria added, pointing at the scarred shoulder. Quinn once again put her hand to it, with a thoughtful nod, finding those terms and conditions to be well and truly reasonable. 


	8. [8]

**THE RADIO** was a complete dead end. Not only did Fedra not have one that could even reach Detroit, they barely had a walkie talkie in decent condition. Most of them lost in the haste of creating a safe zone, others damaged and in terrible condition. Ezra spent the better half of three days under close watch and scrutiny by Military Personnel, unsure if the boy was going to turn volatile or infected like several other members of the dwindling community of survivors did. 

It was cause for concern to both younger siblings, Eli taking the mantle in teaching Quinn more school basics, going as far to teach her how to collect rainwater if she was ever in a dire situation alone. To break up the monotony of basic english, reading and math, he would give her little lessons in survival as if his background as a cadet qualified him enough to do so.

He didn’t say anything, but he too added some survival strategies he learnt from video games and TV shows. Of course, in most media that handled apocalyptic scenarios such as this one, it was rare — if not entirely out of the picture, the presence of Quarantine Zones and Military Aid.

Understanding now why that was the case, they were fairly useless at containing a Bunny if set up to the task, let alone a global pandemic. The younger siblings still held out hope that the virus was merely just an outbreak contained to The United States, that home was untouched and perfectly normal. 

Ezra didn’t share the same sentiment, but allowed the other two to keep holding out knowing it was driving them to a place of survival. That  _ was _ their endgame afterall; Reunite and Return Home. 

Neither of the brothers kept a strict count on how long they had spent inside Fort Wayne, just that they were biding their time to organise an escape. If one had to guess, they spent roughly four weeks contained inside the small zone. As more survivors showed up, the more crowded it got and the less safe it began to feel. 

After weeks of surveying the Zone down to a T, Ezra managed to find himself a vulnerable area that was well out of the way during a periodic military patrol shift swapover. There was a brief five minute window where not a single person was watching over the storage corner behind the infirmary. Heavy duty medical crates were stacked after use to contain equipment no longer safe for use, it also conveniently provides enough height for three nimble siblings to climb up to get access to the low hanging roof above it. 

The oldest spent two whole days briefing his siblings on how the plan was to play out, he wanted to ensure they knew  _ exactly _ what to do and how to do it, even if they were sick of hearing it over and over again. 

Come to the day of their ‘great escape’, all seemed well initially. They all made it up and over the walls without a hitch, they  _ weren’t _ however, counting on the Military presence outside of The Zone. 

The second their feet hit the road outside the zone they had several military personnel on them like glue. Eli was the quickest of the three, sprinting off down the main strip while Ezra and Quinn stuck together, veering off the main strip to take cover in a nearby store that was long evacuated. 

He was quick thinking, kicking down the door to the back office and closing it behind him. Looking around frantically as the soldiers weren’t too far behind them. The office wasn’t incredibly spacious, but the low air duct connecting to a ventilation system was large enough for Quinn.

“C’mon Quinny, you’re gonna have to hide from these cunts — it's like hide n’ seek only you  _ really _ don’t wanna get caught.” He assured her, pulling off the grate and coaxing her in. He needn’t tell her what to do, considering out of the children including extended family; Quinn still held the record for best Hide and Seek player. 

“What about you and Eli?” She reluctantly climbed in, her eyes were glossy as she feared she’d be left alone, more scared of that prospect than getting caught. Her hands quivered as she never looked away from his harsh features, now sporting an unkempt beard that blended into his dark curly locks. 

“You stay here, we’ll come back to get you okay?” He promised, his hands held onto hers for a moment of comfort before he slipped away, placing the grate over the duct and bidding her a quick goodbye. 

Once he was gone, it wasn’t too long before a soldier barged into the office, gun raised high in pursuit of the three runaways. It wasn’t clear why the military were so hellbent on capturing three children, it would waste more resources to get them back or even kill them, than it was to let them go. 

She had shimmied far enough away from the opening that when the soldiers flashlight briefly scanned over it, she wasn’t as easily seen. He had muttered something under his breath, bothered that he hadn’t found either of the three yet. He had turned to exit, giving the office one more look over only to be tackled to the ground by the oldest sibling. 

The two of them landed on the desk in the corner, breaking the furniture by sheer brute force and rolled on the ground as they attempted to get one over the other. Quinn observed from the safeguard of the vent, the soldier getting in several decent hits with the butt of his rifle until Ezra attempted to pull the gun from his grasp. 

Several rogue rounds of ammo came firing out at a rapid speed, colliding with an assortment of items across the office space and some even ricocheting from the vent. Quinn kept her distance, but still watched idly as her brother finally gained the upper hand and successfully ripped the rifle from the soldiers grasp, putting an end to the wrestling match. 

He slammed the soldiers head into the filing cabinet before drawing the rifle and aiming it at the beaten man. No words were said for a brief second as silence filled the space, accumulated dust particles began to settle in the room momentarily as the stillness was cut through by the loud distinct firing of the gun. 

Ezra panted heavily, unmoved by his action to end another's life. Something that was slowly becoming the norm in these short few weeks. He pondered on the possibility of being convicted if things were to ever return to normal, if he’d even have the luxury to plead his case in the event of a trial. 

_ No. _ They would have him up on several counts of homicide, now one including a Federal Officer which was sure to earn him a one way ticket to life without parole. If it meant he could keep his family safe, then he’d do it all over again. Without question. 

“C’mon out chook — we gotta find Eli,” he breathed, satisfied with his break in motion to catch his breath and calm his racing heart. He knelt down and frisked the body, taking anything that could be of use to them as they continued their journey to find their family. 

He rid the corpse of its vest, taking all his rounds of ammunition and of course the gun all the while Quinn clambered out of the vent and stood emotionless at the scene ahead of her. It was unusual, as her brain tried to configure the traumatic view of a man’s head exploding outward with his brains and blood decorating the sheen floor. 

It was expected that she’d react in some form or another, but then again it wasn’t her first dead body she’d seen. Her first experience with a dead body had long exceeded the events of the outbreak, detailing some few years ago while she was on holidays with her family out in the outback. 

Of course, the harsh arid conditions in the outback left corpses in much worse condition, often dehydrated and some instances; mummified. 

This scene was much more brutal, vivid and most likely to stick with her longer than the ones she’d stumble across in the outback. Nonetheless, she finally broke her stare to look at her brother who was already looking at her, his watchful eyes scanning her for any type of reaction. 

He wasn’t sure what was worse, if she’d burst into tears like she did the first few weeks of the outbreak or did nothing, just like she did right now. Either way, some part of him felt guilty for failing her in that aspect, but he most definitely didn’t regret desensitizing her to the harsh reality ahead of them. The less she concerned herself with emotions, the better chance she had at surviving. 

No doubt experiencing trauma of this degree, this early in development would leave her scarred and emotionally distant the older she got. But for now it was the only survival mechanism he needed her to understand. It was uncertain how long they’d live like this for, he just hoped for her sake and everyone else’s; it wouldn’t be long at all. 


	9. [9]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late update I got major writers block and big panic when i realised there was 9 whole chapters without joel lmfaoooo. I JUST RLLY LIKE SLOW BURNS OKAY

**NORMALCY** was something to be desired but never really something to be sought out. Jackson was the first ounce of normalcy Quinn had experienced in quite some time. Despite the safety inside the walls, she slept with one eye open, that action being a given considering she slept in a communal area open to an assortment of other people. 

The large space had several makeshift beds set up across the large spacious room, from what she gathered it was an area for travellers and traders to rest before they went on their way. She had shifted her temporary bed to the far corner, giving her some peace of mind knowing she had eyes on both exits and a visual on all the other beds. 

She had also healed up exponentially well all things considered, finding a semblance of guilty pleasure in enjoying the mundane routine that was evident inside Jackson. She didn’t let this cloud her judgement, however, but to deny that it was something she didn’t know she craved would be dishonest on her part. Not that she’d tell anyone outloud.

Tommy and Maria had been standing at one of the entrances, observing the women's movements as she sat on the edge of her bed, arms propped up onto her knees in placid thought.

“What’re thinkin’?” He peered down at his wife, examining her thoughtful features as her eyebrows pulled together to indicate she was thinking hard. Her arms were folded as she leaned into his side slightly, eyes fixated on the stranger all the while many thoughts filled her mind. 

“I’m thinkin’... It’s been over a week and she hasn’t left yet,” she murmured in a judgement free tone. Merely pointing it out as a statement than anything with negative connotation. “She’s been well n’ truly healed for a few days now… But she’s still here.” 

Tommy hummed in agreement, noting those observations over the last few days as well, “my guess is… she’s too proud to say anythin’... Scared too… Said she don’t like people — you really think she might stay?” He recollects her mannerisms, how cautious she was around the presence of even him and an injured Eugene outside the walls of Jackson. Any inkling that she was part of a larger group was almost immediately dismissed on her reluctance to speak to any of the friendly travellers inside the communal housing area.

He was right; she was definitely too proud to speak up, feeling a sense of shame for wanting to stick around longer than she expected. Regardless, the fact that so many people filled the town gave her enough reason to pack up and leave. The turmoil inside her was preventing her from being at her best. 

It had been  _ too _ long since she was around people, but the time spent healing, without having to scrounge for supplies or constantly be on the run was refreshing and allowed her time to really reflect inwardly. Jackson was proving to be more different than she initially thought, pondering on the possibility that it might do good to stick around for a few months, stock up and  _ then  _ make her trek to the west coast. 

The thought was fleeting, barely appearing in the forefront of her mind before disappearing in a sea of doubts, panic and survival. She had barely noticed the couple standing rather close, only turning around to jump at the sight of seeing people at such a close proximity to her.

“Sorry — didn’t mean to frighten you,” Maria apologises, her movements were slow to ensure the skittish woman wouldn’t feel so panicked, “we - uh… We just came to check in on you… you seem to be doin’ well.” Her hands slowly gesture to Quinn’s shoulder and torso, covered in a fresh set of clothes. A huge difference compared to the blood stained clothes that adorned her over a week ago. 

The woman nodded, her long dark hair hung out of its usual ponytail, it sat fluffy and bounced over her chest indicating it was brushed not too long before. However, Maria noted it was greasy, figuring that she hadn’t treated herself to conditioning her hair which was odd. 

“And… we came to talk to  _ you _ … ‘Bout stayin’ here,” Tommy started, putting his hands up as he saw the woman sitting up straighter to challenge his statement, he motioned for her to wait until he was finished, “I know you ain’t a people person… In fact, I know someone just like you… But we can give you your own place, a home. Electricity, water — the whole package. It’ll be yours, and yours only. We just ask that in return, you help out ‘round here.”

He paused momentarily, his eyes trained on Quinn as she remained silent and in thought while he continued, “you got skills we could use out on patrols — but how ‘bout we start you somewhere smaller, huh? Jackson’s power comes from a Hydroelectric plant not too far from here, not many of us out there anymore but it does attract some unwanted attention from time to time. What’dya say we start you out there?”

Quinn hadn’t uttered a word, she let his words register inside her head while she sat idly. So many possibilites ran through her mind;

_ Places like this never last long. _

_ People are people and people are trouble. _

_ It’s only a matter of time before a raid happens.  _

_ I need to go  _ **_home._ **

The endless scenarios seemed so loud but it was only her that could hear them. Normalcy wasn’t readily available in these times, and its something she didn’t expect to experience for a  _ very  _ long time. But she couldn’t refute the fact that she didn’t mind waking up somewhat safe for once, the tall walls of the town providing such a rare sense of comfort and protection. 

Her contentious thought she dismissed prior, returned front and centre inside her mind; Maybe it  _ would _ be good for her to stay, just for a short while to stock up on essentials before she heads west. Home was still her endgame, and it was best she never let that run astray. 

It was silent for quite some time, the only noise exuded from distant chatter on the opposite side of the room. This was the only time the couple had been nervous of the woman's lack of words, never typically bothered by her unwillingness to speak as they too understood the trepidation one feels in the presence of large groups. 

“Righto…” Her voice hummed just quiet enough for them to hear it, the look on her face painted one of shame and relief. As if she could hear the voices of her brothers disgracing her for breaking the one and only rule that had been deep ingrained into her since she was nine years old. 

But that was a different time. She had no one, and it was time for her to start acting tactfully instead of out of fear. Perhaps, not  _ everyone _ was out to get her like she believed, but one might side with caution regardless if this sentiment was true or not. 

The couple were stunned, to put it lightly, unsure how the conversation would turn out. It became even more real for them as they watched her gather her minimal belongings; a journal, a novel, a carpenter's knife and a faded rubik's cube, the colours barely recognisable as the toy succumbed to the plight of time. 

Tommy eyed the small aged knife, the item bringing a smile to his face as his mind wandered to a time long before the chaos. She hadn’t seemed to notice, transfixed on adjusting the straps on her backpack and fiddling with her jeans that felt just a tad smaller than she felt comfortable with. Beggars can’t be choosers, any complaint she had was pushed further into forgetful territory, not wanting to sound ungrateful by any means. 

Maria motioned for her to accompany them, she followed with vigilance, her eyes keeping tabs on every person they walked by throughout the town. It was a little after noon and the town was bustling with life, kids and teens were out and about as they experienced as close to life before the outbreak as possible

Many adults had taken to trading goods and services through the main street, hollering as Maria and Tommy walked through town. Each and every service they walked by, Quinn was given a brief description of each owner and what their trades were. 

Experiencing the town like this filled her with some surreal sense of magic, as if she wasn’t even witnessing real life occur around her. The idea of a community that didn’t centre or eventually lead to violence and pain was something she’d never seen before, only now did she comprehend the good that was happening here. 

They passed through the busiest part of the town, now strolling to a much quainter part; The residential area. It felt strange seeing so many houses concurrently stood together that hadn’t been blown apart or perished with time, alas, Jackson was full of pleasant surprises. 

“‘lright, this stop is yours.” Tommy stood short of the porch connected to a decently sized home. It stood not quite flush against the wall, but it was one that was placed in relative distance from the town centre. Much like her bed in the communal rooms, it was far away in solitude and from people. 

She gaped at the house, unsure whether to accept such a large living space considering she was by herself. Then again, she did appreciate the opportunity to have her own place,  _ away _ from other people. If only her brothers were here to experience it with her, knowing that despite their matter-of-fact teachings, they’d be all over this place with a sense of pride and joy. 

“Now most of it’s already stocked with essentials, I’m afraid we ain’t got much in the way of clothes but we’re workin’ on that… If anythin’ is too big or small, just send it back our way…” Tommy briefed the woman, her eyes still taking in the sight of the house.  _ Her _ house. 

Maria chuckled, knowing how most the townsfolk were growing restless about their recent clothing crisis, she was just glad that it was something trivial they were worried about and nothing else. It felt normal and refreshing. “You rest up tonight, Tommy or I will be by in the mornin’ to send you on your way to the plant. We’re holed up just at the end of the street there if you need anythin’,” she pointed down the opposite end of the street, another similar looking house with more personality visible on the porch. 

Quinn nodded, her hands lightly grazing the rail of the steps. Freshly sanded wood with a new coat of varnish had felt so nice in contrast to the splintered and rotted wood she was accustomed too. She turned to face the couple, an appreciative smile on her face, “Cheers for this… I mean it.”

With arms around each other, the couple nodded in acknowledgement, understanding the daunting road to settling down in this new age world, even for someone who didn’t live here to begin with. Maria leaned forward slowly, outstretching her hand as she held out a key for the woman to take. 

She took it carefully, and nodded once again in appreciation slowly walking up the steps and entering the house she can call her own. 

  
  


________________

  
  
  


**THE DAM** was peaceful to look at, the sounds of the water brought on a particular sense of tranquility, even to the point where if Quinn shut her eyes it reminded her of home. The family trips she recalled where they went to the beach at the edge of a secluded and beautiful national park. 

Maria and Tommy were right to their word, the Hydroelectric Plant was only manned by five other people. The roster on a rotation with the odd two people who permanently stayed out in quaint seclusion from the bustling commotion of the town. It quickly became one of her most preferred areas to be stationed at, despite having to sleep in a communal area three times out of the week. 

In her first week at the Dam she had helped clear out a pack of clickers and preemptively thwarted a raid by a small group of hunters. The picturesque scenery coupled with familiar soundscape helped her concentrate and remain calm when it seemed like things were anything but. 

She had a routine now, one that she was adamant on sticking to and very rarely strayed from. Of course, the routine was something that she’d change every few days, the paranoia of someone memorising her routine kept her on her toes. The behaviour reminding her of something her dad told her when she was younger. 

The memory embedded deep in the recess of her mind but  _ always _ stuck with her. It was one of the rare summer holidays her dad got time away from work, the whole Everrett family had planned a camping trip up to the Northern Territory. Quinn at the time, being so young had remembered how concerned she was about Crocodiles coming into her tent to gobble her up. 

Innately this was completely irrational, but the imagination of an eight year old ran rampant to fill the void of knowledge. 

_ They watch their prey to understand a routine, once they understand the routine, they strike. _

It was a philosophy that had ingrained into the survivalist part of her mind from the moment she was told and held onto it furthermore. No one in Jackson ever gave off the vibe that they were watching her, save for Tommy and Maria when they’d check in with her, but it didn’t hurt to err on the side of caution. 

The monotonous way of living had become something she found to enjoy even though she would never admit it to anyone; including herself. 

Each morning would start like the rest, depending on her assigned duties for the day she would be up at dawn, unable to sleep late into the morning no matter how fatigued she was. Some mornings she’d jog around the town, other mornings she’d keep on top of sparring and the mornings she felt like doing something completely different; she’d open her journal and read.

Despite having well and truly ‘settled’ into Jackson she still remained content with her own company, turning down Maria’s invites to partake in community events. The only time the woman would come in close proximity to anything of the sort was when she’d stop by the bar, getting her regular meal to go on the nights she didn’t feel up to the task of cooking. 

The only jarring experience she had since arriving and tending to her duties was her quaint residential corner was no longer housing just her. 

It was late afternoon, golden hour to be more precise and as they were headed into what would be a scorcher of a summer, the breeze no longer carried that cold bite to it. She had quite comfortably seated herself on the porch for no reason other than she was compelled to enjoy the late spring atmosphere. 

She flicked through her journal, the words not meaning too much to anyone but her exclusively. It was something she liked to do when she felt particularly homesick, but on this certain day she felt like she deserved a moment to reminisce after a hectic three days on the dam. 

Needless to say she was glad that she was on perimetre watch for the rest of the week, even if Tommy would pair her with the most insufferable people when he wasn’t available himself. People were wisening up not to ask her too many questions, or even just talk to her.

The journal she had in her hands was abandoned, face down on the chair arm as she watched Tommy wander down toward her particular area of residential homes. The assumption being he needed her for something, or to ask her to join in on whatever community gathering was happening this evening. 

Suffice it to say, she was  _ very _ surprised to see him merely give her a polite wave as he walked to the porch of the house directly across from hers. Even more surprised to see someone had taken up residence in it.

A frown formed on her face as she tried to recall people moving in across from her, believing that an oversight like that was troubling to say the least. The anxiety that bubbled inside her at the prospect of her potentially losing her constant vigilance wafted away when she came to the conclusion the man across the street from her, simply moved in while she was stationed down at the Dam. 

“Somethin’ on your mind?” Tommy’s voice startled her, unaware that she had been fixated on her own thoughts longer than she anticipated. He chuckled a sharp apology, leaning on one of her porch steps as he looked at the landscaping she had done in the front yard, “I gotta say, I didn't peg you for a gardener.” 

Her eyes drifted down to the shrubs she had attacked at noon with a set of blunt sheers in her tool box. Truth be told, the reason the shrubs had been cut was so she could see out her window properly, having the view cut off was distressing her more than she cared to admit. 

“I found a lifestyle magazine and thought it looked like a piece of piss to do.” She joked halfheartedly, very slowly but surely warming up to not just Tommy but to Maria as well. Her eyes were elsewhere, eying the figure of a man as he sat on his porch, seemingly watching the two interact. 

It was a reasonable distance but she could  _ tell _ he was watching them, that alone made her uneasy. She shifted on her seat, Tommy following her stare now understanding her change in behaviour, as quick and as sharp as it was. 

“I was hopin’ you wouldn’t mind some company down here — that’s my brother, Joel, he don’t like people… Bit like you. Just him n’ his kid, so they won’t be any hassle.” 

_ Him watching  _ **_is_ ** _ a hassle. _

“Came over here to ask how the Dam was, Terry told me some runners were givin’ you guys hell,” he questioned, his head slightly tilted to the side but his eyes were planted on the newly swept wood porch. 

She nodded, internally groaning at how relentless that particular horde felt like even more so early in the morning, “fuckin’ shitty little bastards… S’all good, we handled it.” 

Infected were breaching through the area now that the days were warmer and Summer was just around the corner. In the hotter seasons it seemed more runners were ever present than any other infected types, typically stuck to darker and cooler places. 

Tommy gave her an approving nod, noticing how out of the conversation she was which was particularly unusual for someone who was seemingly on edge all the time. He chalked it up to the staring match she was having with his older brother across the street, both parties being uncomfortable in the presence of people and he couldn’t help but find it somewhat amusing. 

A smile ghosted his lips, “I’ll leave you to it — will we be seein’ you tonight?”  _ Tonight _ meaning yet another community gathering which was an almost definite no from Quinn. She managed to pry her gaze from across the street and look down at the leatherbound journal she fiddled with in her hands. 

“Dunno — don’t really feel like cookin’ tea tonight.” She stated, this was as much of a ‘yes’ Tommy was going to get from her. Even if that was her coming into the bar to grab her food and leave, it was at least  _ something _ . 

Over the course of a few weeks he picked up on her subtle nuances, slight differences in the way she spoke and phrases she’d mutter to herself when she thought no one was listening. How it only took him at least three times to understand when she said ‘cunt’, it wasn’t always in a negative connotation but she’d often refer to some people as one as a way to compliment them. It didn’t make him anymore approving of her use of the word. 

“‘lright then, I’ll have Seth do you up your usual.” Tommy smiled at her, backing away from the house to retreat down the street. She gave him a curt nod and a polite wave as her eyes flickered between the man on the street and the one still on the porch across from her. 

She was hoping that Joel’s deal died down soon, not at all feeling comfortable with the fact she now had to deal with someone who seemed to be as equally vigilant as her. 


End file.
